For emulating a freight train on skates, Syracuse Crunch right winger Richard Panik has been given a three-game suspension as punishment for an illegal — and dirty — check that left Rochester Americans left winger Zemgus Girgensons concussed.

The suspension was handed down minutes ago by the American Hockey League.

Girgensons is out indefinitely because of the concussion, which he sustained from the second-period check on Saturday night in Syracuse.

Girgensons said on Monday night that he was “out cold” on the ice. He said Panik hit him directly in the head and face.

Panik told Lindsay Kramer of the Post-Standard in Syracuse that his check was indeed to high and late, since Girgensons had already passed the puck nearly three-quarters of a second earlier. As a general guideline, the NHL uses about a half-second timeframe in determining whether a check was late.

But not only was Panik’s check beyond the “allowable” timeframe, it was to the head and also delivered on an unsuspecting opponent.

Girgensons had passed the puck along the left-wing boards just inside the Amerks zone, and Panik, who was not involved in the play, proceeded to circle from the left side of center and at about 75-percent of full speed before bowling him over.

Referee David Banfield assessed an interference major and game misconduct. Amerks defenseman T.J. Brennan also fought Panik immediately after the check.

Amerks coach Ron Rolston said he would leave it up to the AHL to decide whether the hit was “dirty,” but said on Monday that the league had to be sure to protect players since the young prospects in the AHL will someday be the future of the NHL.

Repeated hits to the head from on-ice collisions have cause countless concussions have led to the early retirement of many players in recent years. Concussions ended the careers of former Amerks Jason Botterill, Mike Funk, Mike Card and Craig Fisher.

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About Kevin

Kevin Oklobzija has been covering the Rochester Americans and the American Hockey League, as well as the Buffalo Sabres and the NHL, since the puck dropped on the 1985-86 pro hockey season. He has covered the Calder Cup and Stanley Cup playoffs, as well as hockey at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, Salt Lake City and Turin, Italy. Hockey's O-Zone will provide news and views on the sport. If you have a comment, Email Kevin, and we'll even make it easy for you -- you don't even need to spell his last name: kevino@democratandchronicle.com.